Traditional bluegrass, gospel, and country twin sister duo The Church Sisters have signed a development deal with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records. The 18-year-old sisters from the coal mining region of Dickerson County, Virginia have created a very strong grassroots fan base from their startling harmonies and many years of performing from an early age, and are finally getting their chance to take their talents to a bigger stage.

“Within the next 12 months we’ll be working with them on our look and our sound, and going in the studio and making a demo album,” Savannah Church said to the Winston-Salem Journal recently. “That will get us up to the point of whether or not we’ll be doing a record deal with them.”

Saving Country Music has highlighted The Church Sisters on numerous occasions as a singing duo that could have a significant impact on mainstream music if given a chance. A 2013 piece called “Singing Sisters Help to Save Country Music with Harmony said, “Sisters Sarah and Savannah Church bring some of the most exquisite harmonies to their love for traditional country and gospel music, and have all the potential in the world, whether they decide to stay performing more traditional material, or try and branch out into original compositions.”

As Savannah Church says, “We’re trying to move into a different direction as far as music goes.” The sisters’ first two albums consisted of mostly bluegrass and Gospel standards. Their most recent, self-titled album released in June is more country. “We wanted to have a different sound. It’s more of a country-sounding album than bluegrass. That’s the kind of music that’s original to us. It’s the first time we’ve played music that we’ve written.”

The most obvious question is if Big Machine will attempt to reshape the sound and image of The Church Sisters to create mainstream appeal, or if they see commercial potential in what they are already doing, and will allow the sisters a level of creative freedom. Though Big Machine might be most famous for launching Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line, they also have allowed bands like The Mavericks and The Cadillac Three to call their own shots, and have allowed younger artists like Swift and Maddie & Tae a large degree of leeway in the direction of their careers. It’s also interesting that Big Machine would be after another female singing pair after launching Maddie & Tae just last year.

“Within the next 12 months we”™ll be working with them on our look and our sound…” Danger! Danger Will Robinson”. I mean didn’t they have a grassroots fanbase because they already had a look and sound?! WTF?! Big Machine will try a make another Maddie and Tay probably. And considering music row doesn’t even know what to do with great females it already has… I wonder if this isn’t some conspiracy to just take another talented female act off the market so another more qualified record label could do right by them.

“The most obvious question is if Big Machine will attempt to reshape the sound and image of The Church Sisters to create mainstream appeal, or if they see commercial potential in what they are already doing, and will allow the sisters a level of creative freedom.”

“Within the next 12 months we”™ll be working with them on our look and our sound ”

Any act that gives itself over to a label to shape “their look and sound” is just relegating themselves to being another a moldable commodity . These kids are amazingly talented and untainted RIGHT NOW . But they will have to be packaged to sell to a radio audience who wouldn’t know real talent if it bit them in order to generate revenue along the lines of what a label will expect once it’s invested any serious time and money in them . I think the question raised in the quote above has already been answered by the second quote , unfortunately . There are so many mainstream acts ( Antebellum , Little Big Town , ANY male singer charting ) who are stumbling around blindly chasing every trend and nuance in the fickle nature of the radio crowd when they should be looking a trademark sound that defines them if they consider themselves ARTISTS and not just products . I hope the Church Sisters won’t be one more but its a foregone conclusion , I believe , that they will have to do that if they are associated at this young stage of their careers with BIG MACHINE . That label is NOT going to fuck around ….not in THIS musical climate !!

BTW …how about the incredible Carl Jackson in that video ? Man he’s got his finger on the pulse of an awful lot of raw talent in that town .Check out Alecia Nugent’s material and , of course , the Bluegrass Reunion You-Tube stuff .

Look… Why work on the look. This is not a pageant. I don’t want to see a slob on stage but that just entails dressing normal. Those two young females look nice and are dressed well. What does scott borchetta want to do with them?!?!?!

they’re teenagers, they can’t have known what they were getting themselves in to… this can’t end well. makes me sad. Jim Finkley has spoken about this in depth with one of my friends; young people getting suckered into deals that cripple their creative freedom. I hope I’m wrong about the assumed outcome.

I agree with the first part of your comment. With the second part, I hope you’re right.

It has to be said though, this is not the Big Machine of 2009. I do think Scott Borchetta has been slowly reigning in his artists over time. Also this is a development deal, meaning they are singed to be “developed,” meaning coaching and image experts are going to be assigned to them. That may have not necessarily happened, or in such a dedicated manner with an act like Maddie & Tae.

Ultimately, the power that an artist has depends on strength of personal will as well as grassroots support. If the Church Sisters use the time during which they are in the “development” deal to promote themselves and cultivate a fan base, I think they will find millions of hungry country fans eager to fly their banner. The next step would be to ignore most of the advice the coaching and image “experts” give and only follow the ones that they know in their heart are right for them.

“The next step would be to ignore most of the advice the coaching and image “experts” give and only follow the ones that they know in their heart are right for them.”

Good luck with that. New acts have zero leverage. The major labels’ sole purpose is to change the act’s style. Period.

If Sturgill Simpson, a 30-something with the foresight of the business, turned down many a major label because they wouldn’t give him full creative control, there is zero chance these green, 18 year old girls are keeping their style with Big Machine.

Excellent news. The Church Sisters are probably my favorite vocalists right now in country music. Their vocal texture and harmonies are simply heavenly. As a side note, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they are from Appalachia, a region that has disproportionately contributed to the ranks of greatest female country singers.

Also, for those who are predicting the worst because of the particular label, keep in mind that the Mavericks and Maddie & Tae are also signed to Big Machine, and that the label is famous for offering a level of artistic latitude unmatched by the other major country labels.

I don’t get why Borchetta is so obsessed with the idea of female duos. It just seems like he’s pushing it pretty hard despite the fact that there isn’t much demand for a female duo. But these girls seem like they could make really good music.

“It”™s just the acts they”™re courting don”™t leave a sustainable impression on listeners.”

It only takes ONE song people of any age can connect with to leave an impression on listeners for a lifetime…no matter the act .Its the song people will take to heart , the melody , the message , the imagery etc. They used to call them ” career songs ” ( Garth’s ‘ Friends In Low Places ‘ , Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison’ ..arguably Merle’s ‘Okee from Muskogee’ …and many many others , of course )..a song that immediately defined the artist and recalled a time or the impact the artist had on lives , the relate-ability universally . What would be , say , Eric Church’s ‘ career song ‘ ? What would be Luke Bryan’s ‘ career song ‘ ? ..how ’bout Ashley Monroe’s or (_____your favourite newer artist here_____________) ?? No one is chasing GREAT songs ….they are chasing mediocre, mostly generic songs that they can dress up sonically for radio .

I’m glad for them to have a shot at more exposure, and I’m scared for what the “polishing” process will do to them, and I don’t just mean artistically. Dear God, protect these girls and help them to remain strong in their faith.